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Interesting Times Only two weeks ago, the Dow Jones Industrial Average went into free fall, down 1,600 points before buyers charged in, bringing the decline to a 1.175 points, a new record. Today, the Dow is back, flirting again with the 25,000 level, not too far from its January...

America, Still Exceptional? The acid test for my columns is to read them to the Beautiful Wife, hoping she approves. This time the BW wondered if the column wasn’t a bit . . . academic? The readers of “Finding Meaning,” I argued, are smart and curious so no problema. I leave it...

Do We Really Need A Valentine’s Day? Americans celebrate so many holidays and some of them are of a dubious nature. There is Cinco de Mayo, which most Americans think is Mexican Independence Day, and use as an excuse to get drunk. In the same vein there is St. Patrick’s Day where...

Dream Catchers I was an old man walking on the beach lost in thought. I try to make myself have one big thought a day. It’s not easy. Little thoughts get in the way. “Why do my knees hurt so much?” “Whose hips do I have now?” “What the heck happened to my ankles?” “Why’s the sand...

Read the Personals SHOPLIFTERS WANTED – We have developed a brand new security system. We need shoplifters to try it out for us. See if they can detect it, dismantle it or do anything to stop it from working. We will pay you $100 if you can disable it (so we improve it). ...

Vision, Commitment for Reopening the Community Learning Center I write as an initiator and proponent of the Community Learning Center (CLC) alternative school that since 1983 has brought distinction and community respect to the Laguna Beach Unified School District. In the face of...

A Town for the Ageless Just when I was so disillusioned—thinking that our younger and older generations were never going to connect, I was inspired. I was listening to our local radio station KX 93.5 driving back home from downtown. I love to hear the conversation on th...

Market Crosswinds Stocks shocked the world with a record 1,175-point drop in the hallowed Dow Jones Industrial Average. They then thrashed around for a while before steadying with five straight up days. These five days took the Dow over 5%, the largest five-day gain since 2016....

Searching For Perspective The Dow Industrial Average began the week by dropping 1,175 points in a single day that financial media labeled a “market meltdown.” Well, it wasn’t, nor does it indicate any change in our strategy of holding larger, growing companies in growing sectors....

With Wandering Awe One of the pleasures of “Finding Meaning” is I can attend local churches to my heart’s content. I find their services as enjoyable as a sunset stroll on the beach. Here I report on three remarkable yet ordinary congregations who welcomed me. I attended a Friday...

What’s The Rush? Have you ever made a major purchase in a hurry and gotten a good deal? That is a hard thing to do. Usually this type of transaction involves an emergency or you’re obsessed with something new and shiny. This clouds your vision making it hard to be the smart...

Slip and Slide When I was a kid I asked my mother what she thought when I was born. She replied, “You looked like a wrinkly, old man.” It seemed opposite of what is usually said, “You were the most beautiful baby in the world.” But as time has passed, I realized I’ve maintained...

Read the Personals ACTIVE, 93-YEAR-OLD LADY has an extra ticket to the Pat Boone concert on Valentine’s night. You can score a chance to escort me by answering one special question correctly. Excellent seat, Clubhouse 3 theater. #OneHotMama PANES IN THE GLASS – Huge...

The War on Rooftops What is it about roof decks that has our town spun out? We hear all the time how they are ruining Laguna. All four of them. You’d think they were crack houses. One candidate for City Council in 2016 made it an essential part of her campaign to stop their...

Simple Truths How is it possible to keep our equilibrium when negative news abounds with messages of turmoil and chaos? Our days are filled with more interactions with inanimate objects than living, breathing people. We clear our e-mail, check our voice mail and answer text...